Recent News

Over the last year, the Northwest School Mental Health Team has been providing training and technical assistance in Idaho. As a result of those efforts and collaborations, our partners, like Optum, are emphasizing school mental health within an integrated framework in rural Idaho schools.  Read their recently released case study on Enhancing Behavioral Health in Idaho Schools and […]

Organizing Partners include the Behavioral Health Training, Workforce and Policy Innovation Center of the University of Washington's Behavioral Health Institute in partnership with the WA State Health Care Authority (HCA).  Key Tribal Partners include the Indian Health Service's Telebehavioral Health Center of Excellence (TBHCE), the American Indian Health Commission (AIHC) of Washington State and others. Session 1 11:00am - September 17, 2020 -- Addressing […]

Tailoring Evaluation Designs to Training and Technical Assistance Delivery Formats by Jonathan Olson, Sarah Kopelovich, Marianne Kellogg, Jennifer Blank, Christina Clayton, & Eric J. Bruns University of Washington School of Medicine DOWNLOAD THE POSTER   This poster, developed by Jonathan Olson, Sarah Kopelovich, Marianne Kellogg, Jennifer Blank, Christina Clayton, & Eric J. Bruns of University of Washington School of […]

Recently, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a new mobile app, My Mental Health Crisis Plan, which allows individuals who have serious mental illness (SMI) to create a plan to guide their treatment during a mental health crisis. The app was developed through SMI Adviser, a project funded by SAMHSA and […]

In case you missed it: SAMHSA released the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The annual survey is the nation’s primary resource for data on mental health and substance use among Americans. View a video presentation of the NSDUH data findings presented by Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Dr. […]

Assessing Workforce Diversity: A Tool for Mental Health Organizations on the Path to Health Equity   Developed By: Pacific Southwest MHTTC SUMMARY: Workforce diversity improves access to health and health care for communities of color. This self-assessment is designed to help mental health organizations explore their implementation of workforce diversity strategies. It addresses six areas: […]

  SUMMARY: A study in JAMA finds huge improvement with patients in India treated with collaborative-care model. Lydia Chwastiak, MD, was a co-author and principal investigator on the study. Read more: HERE.     **********************************   Want more information? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's Resource Library and Websites by Topic  and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available […]

CDC Article: "Mental health, substance use and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic."   By: Czeisler et al Published August 14, 2020. SUMMARY: “What is already known about this topic? Communities have faced mental health challenges related to COVID-19–associated morbidity, mortality, and mitigation activities. What is added by this report? During June 24–30, 2020, U.S. adults […]

  "Why mental health and the law matters."   Published August 14, 2020. A new center based in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington focuses on the intersection of mental health and the criminal justice system. The Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law made its debut this summer. Northwest […]

On July 16, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission adopted rules to establish 988 as the new, nationwide, 3-digit phone number for Americans in crisis to connect with suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors. The rules require all phone service providers to direct all 988 calls to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July […]

SAMHSA, SMI Adviser and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) are enhancing the APA Learning Center this summer. Key improvements being rolled out in July include: A modern design and simple navigation tools  A streamlined, efficient checkout process to get you started learning right away Tailored activity recommendations based on your previous course enrollments and completions […]

Statewide High-Level Analysis of Forecasted Behavioral Health Impacts from COVID-19, issued by the Washington State Department of Health on May 15, 2020, provides a brief overview of the potential statewide, behavioral health impacts from COVID-19.  The intent of this document is to communicate the potential impacts of the outbreak to response planners and behavioral health organizations, […]

Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) hosts free Recovery LIVE! and other related virtual events about implementing effective recovery supports and services for children, youth, families, young adults, adults, seniors, and other populations with mental or substance use disorders. Participants engage directly with moderators and each other through live chatting, polls, and other interactive […]

This article addresses specific challenges, contingency planning considerations, and downstream impacts of COVID-19 on inpatient psychiatric care in this article by Luming Li, MD, Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, and the Associate Medical Director of Quality Improvement of the Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital. Her clinical focus is on patients […]

Benjamin G. Druss, MD, MPH, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, discusses strategies to mitigate the outcome of the COVID-19 epidemic among patients with serious mental illness in this article published online on April 3, 2020, in JAMA Psychiatry. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.0894  

The National Council for Behavioral Health is providing a valuable collection of COVID-19 resources and information applicable nationally. Check back regularly for updates organized by issue area as policies and resources are changing rapidly. Topics addressed include telemedicine; telehealth; Medicaid; detailed guidance for behavioral health providers on telehealth service expansion and billing throughout the COVID-19 […]

See the new practice brief, prepared by Maria Hermsen-Kritz.  Peer support is fast emerging as a promising and widely endorsed addition to the array of mental health services available to young people experiencing serious mental health conditions. This practice brief offers strategies for supporting youth peer support specialists and addressing common challenges they face. See […]

The UW SMART Center speaker series brings esteemed scholars to the UW and Seattle community to elevate our understanding of issues related to school mental health and critical topics in education. Space is limited. Register soon to reserve your spot! Click here to learn more and register!

>>> Download the new resource here.  Students of all ages have unmet mental health needs that affect their performance in school. How can educators and school personnel respond to the mental health needs of students? What do educators and school personnel need to know about child and adolescent mental health? Where can school districts, schools, […]

See the wealth of trainings and events on the National MHTTC Training and Events Calendar!

Study & Article by Eric Bruns, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences,  Northwest MHTTC Director of Evaluation and School Mental Health  What does it take to get evidence-based mental health treatment to people in need? That’s a question researchers sought to answer in a newly published study in Implementation Science.  “This research is critical […]

In October 2019, we co-sponsored not one, but two exciting events that engaged over 70 people from schools, districts, providers, and communities in Idaho with our partners at the Idaho Positive Behavior Network (IPBN) and Optum Idaho.  The first event was held on October 17th, 2019 and was a hands-on, full-day training for elementary, middle, […]

A Presentation by Ijioma Oluo In a public presentation at the University of Washington's School of Public Health, Editor at Large of The Establishment, Ijeoma Oluo, discusses her book, "So You Want to Talk About Race." She offers a contemporary, accessible take on the racial landscape in America, addressing head-on such issues as privilege, police […]

Serious Mental Illness and Suicide Educational Needs Assessment This 3-minute survey will assist SMI Advisor in identifying education and practice needs on the intersection of suicide and serious mental illness (SMI). Serious mental illness (SMI) includes one or more diagnoses of mental disorders combined with significant impairment in functioning. Schizophrenia, bipolar illness, and major depressive […]